As the United States and Europe back uprisings against tyranny across the Arab world, hypocrisy has reared its ugly head.

The same countries that were so quick to jump into Libya have now urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to shelve a plan to apply for formal recognition of the country within UN structures. Abbas, undeterred at the time of writing, seems resolute and is backed by about 82% of the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian people are oppressed, and they are the victims of tyranny. They are trapped in a tiny enclave of land which is regularly invaded by Israeli troops. Their movements are monitored and restricted and civilians regularly die as air strikes targeting terrorists are often indiscriminate.

But even as Mr Abbas prepares to launch a bid for statehood, the White House has announced that President Barrack Obama will veto the proposal. Meanwhile France, one of the main European protagonists on the Libya stage, has also called on Palestine to return to direct talks with Israel.

One simply cannot understand the reasoning. How can countries back uprisings against tyranny and then deny the Palestinians the right to a home, a state to call their own.

The US has argued that Palestine cannot become Palestine with a simple decree signed by the United Nations. France uses that same argument and both opponents are urging Palestine to return to the negotiating table. But what can Palestine be expected to do? Yes, the territories still harbour militants, but what exactly are the Palestinians supposed to do about it? The ‘government’ is so impoverished and stricken by sanctions that it does not even have the resources to deal with terrorists. The people of Palestine have recently softened in view of the Arab Spring uprisings and many are starting to believe that people power is much more effective than armed conflict.

The state of Palestine has got to start somewhere. One does not need to be a skilled diplomat or negotiator to twig to the fact that Israel merely pays lip service to the accords already struck. Israel is happy to draw this out for as long as possible. And the answer as to why is clear.

If Palestine becomes a recognized nation, it will acquire rights. Those rights will stipulate that others will have to intervene and help if she (Palestine) was attacked by a foreign force. Where would that leave the US, France and others. Up the proverbial creek without a paddle. It’s just like Bosnia in the sense that there are no resources there, why should anyone stick their neck out. Truly unbelievable, given all that is going on around the world.